Agenda and minutes

To receive the Minutes of the meeting held on 16^th March 2009.

            Resolved - That the Minutes of the meeting held on 16^th March 2009 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Matters Arising  -

Further to Minute 36: -

It was confirmed that a report on the Youth Education Project (YEP) would come to the next meeting of the Schools Forum, following on from the meeting with SASH to discuss their concerns in relation to the project.

Further to Minute 38: -

The Chair read out a statement which had been provided by the Director of Finance stating that the letters advising staff that they were eligible for equal pay had gone out, and that a panel of heads was being called to advise on the practical arrangements for despatch of the second letter and for signing sessions.  Concern was expressed that the letter had not come back to the Schools Forum for approval as requested at the last meeting.  In addition, many members of the panel expressed concern that teachers had been expected to comment urgently or to be involved in the process during the Easter break, which was a legitimate vacation period for head teachers.  Concern was expressed at a number of the proposed arrangements including staff having to come out of schools during the examination periods to signing sessions being held at a central location.  The Forum also expressed the need for provision for bi-lingual translation for key members of staff and for signing and other support.

            Kirsty Cole (Deputy Director of Finance) advised that the proposal for a heads panel had arisen due to the need to receive urgent feedback on these types of practical arrangements within a very tight timescale for implementation of the arrangements.  She advised that the letter had not come for further consultation than for comments with the heads specified, as there was very little flexibility in the letter due to the nature of the legal requirements and due to the urgent need to print the letter in the next few days.  Schools Forum members now advised that they would wish to see the following practical arrangements -

?         signing sessions to be held in school clusters, with the lead secondary school hosting the sessions where available, given the examination period. 

?         interpretation / signers available for members of staff who require them  (head teachers to provide this information on request, if this cannot be established from personnel records held by the Borough)

?         signing sessions for each school stretched over an extended day with evening staff invited during the day and educational support staff invited after the normal school day.

?         that communications on the arrangements are emailed to heads and marked private and confidential to ensure that support staff effected by arrangements are not accidentally seeing communications ahead of time.

The Deputy Director of Finance confirmed that the Borough would seek to put these arrangements in place if the sessions could be accommodated in schools in the timescales required, but that the Borough might have to revert to former timescales if the appropriate  ...  view the full minutes text for item 39.

            Nikki Soave (Principal Auditor) presented a report providing an update on the progress made in the 2008/09 assessment of Primary and Special Schools in relation to Financial Management Standard in Schools (FMSiS) Year 3 external assessments, and to notify the timetable for completing the assessments by 2010 and for the reassessment of Secondary Schools that would be conducted during 2009/10.

            Nikki Soave advised that 55 primary schools had successfully passed the assessment, with some minor comments and changes required to arrangements in the process of the audits.  In addition, she advised that the Financial Management audits would run alongside internal audits to minimise impact and disruption for schools.

            Rachael Mattey asked for confirmation that Isambard Community School was excluded from the re-assessment having only had the assessment as a new school in Autumn 2008.  Nicky Soave confirmed that this was the case, and that only those Secondary Schools due for re-assessment would be included in the programme.

            The question was asked of how any negative feedback from inspections was reflected in the report.  Nicky Soave advised that they had received very little negative feedback, but acknowledged that there were a few instances where assessments could have been smoother.  She confirmed that they valued all feedback and continually looked to make adjustments to processes in responses to any issues occurring, and confirmed that feedback had been taken into account in the planning for later audits.

            Resolved – That the Schools Forum notes the 2009/10 FMSiS external assessment process and the progress made to date on the external assessments.

            Mrs Nicki Archer (Deputy Group Finance Manager - Schools) presented the revised Financial Regulations for Schools and highlighted the amendments which had been undertaken following a consultation with several schools and to bring the regulations in line with the Council's own Financial Regulations.

            The head teachers on the Forum highlighted a number of difficulties with the new regulations, which were considered to make the regulations impractical for schools -

?         The need to allow schools to use Internet purchasing was highlighted, given the tight budgets and the savings, which could be achieved through purchasing this way.

?         The level of petty cash at £25 was much too low for large schools, given, for example, the costs associated with one lesson of Home Economics.

?         The need for an exception to the number of written quotations for specialist equipment, where only one supplier was available.

?         The anomaly of four quotations being required for purchases for up to £5,000, but only three for larger amounts, and the difficulties with obtaining four quotations in many circumstances.

?         The need to clarify the statement that funds given to schools become the legal property of the Borough, and how donations to PTAs sit within this restriction.

Mrs Nikki Archer agreed to investigate these issues with the Director of Finance and report back on any changes to the regulations to a future meeting.

            Resolved - That Forum Members provide any additional detailed comments on the provisions of the Financial Regulations to Mrs Nikki Archer, and that she reports back a future meeting with any changes to the regulations, following discussions with the Director of Finance.

            Karen Murray (Children Services Group Finance Manager) presented to the Forum detailed information on Individual Schools Budgets and Standards Fund Allocations for 2009/10.  This report set out detailed information requested at the March meeting of the Committee.  It was noted that in addition to the Standards Fund Grant, there was likely to be some headroom money of £249k for the Schools Development Grant, which would be allocated to schools during the financial year on a per pupil basis in line with guidance, but that the final level of this fund would not be known until June 2009.

            The Chair expressed frustration that at previous meetings the Forum had been asked to claw back money from key schemes, and now was being informed of headroom monies.  She asked that this information should be available to every meeting of the Forum, and suggested there needed to be further information on the connection between the two funds. 

            Karen Murray confirmed that this was an estimate figure only at this stage, which could go up or down, and was given for a specific purpose, and therefore could not have been diverted by the Schools Forum to pay for the key schemes where reductions had been made.  Karen Murray advised that she was in discussions with the Department for Schools, Children and Families to amend the way in which the funds were allocated and the outcome of this was awaited.

            Resolved - 1) That the Forum notes the Individual Schools Budgets and Standards Fund details and allocations set out in Appendices A and B of the report.

            2) That Forum agrees to distribute any headroom money with the school development grant on a per pupil basis in line with the guidance of the grant.

            Paddy Bradley (Director of Schools and Learning) presented a report to inform the Forum of the issues to be resolved when considering changes to the use of the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant to provide a service to support Black and Minority Ethnic Pupils.  The report included a copy of the options for future provision of an Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG) developed by a working group from the Forum established at the January 2009 meeting, taking into account the findings of a independent review of the current service.

            Paddy Bradley advised on the Department of Schools, Children and Families guidance on the use of the EMAG, which was a ring-fenced grant allocated on a needs based formula to local authorities, and the way in which it was currently used.  It was noted that local authorities may retain up to a maximum of 15% of their allocation or £150,000 whichever is the greater, to deliver central services and direct pupil services.  He advised that the solution presented by the working group for a remodelled service proposed by Drove Primary School would cost £227,000, which was more than the £150,000 held centrally.  He therefore was asking the views of the Schools Forum on the options presented, in order to take a report to the Children and Young People Strategic Partnership Board, who would need to make any policy decision about the provision of such a service and any additional funds that were required to support a remodelled service.

            The Chair expressed her frustration at what she considered to be the impotence of the Forum to make the changes required to the service and anger that the views of the Schools Forum had not been taken into account, and confirmed her intention to resign as Chair of the Forum at the end of the meeting as a result of this matter.

            Other heads expressed their frustration that the element of EMAG which was sent to schools had not been retained until June 2009, as requested, before being distributed to allow schools to decide if they wished to contribute to such as revised service.  In addition, concern was expressed that schools which currently received the money for a few children, were not able to purchase the provision required to assist them.  The Director for Schools and Learning confirmed that the Authority did not have option not to distribute the money to schools, and was wishing to recommend that the Children and Young People's Strategic Board did look at the options for a new style service commissioned from an external partner with expertise.  In addition, it was emphasised that any service should provide access to facilities for schools to access whether they had a small or large level of need.  

            Karen Murray advised that the Schools Forum had identified an annual

allocation of £96k which could bridge the funding gap of the EMAG funding for the proposed service, but recognised that the policy decision of how the service was set up could not be made  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

The next meeting of Schools Forum is scheduled for Tuesday 14^th July 2009.

            The Forum noted that the next scheduled meeting would be held on 14^th July 2009.

            Karen Murray advised that the Department of Schools Children and Families was offering a small financial reward for schools for completing their questionnaire on funding and recommended the completion to schools.